Men's basketball team tops Daytona State

The Eastern Florida State College men's basketball team topped No. 19 Daytona State College to take sole possession of first place in the Central Conference.

Sophomore guard Brandon Garcia hit a 3-pointer 23 seconds remaining to give the Titans a four-point lead and they would hang on for the 69-67 win over the Falcons.

The Titans got things started fast as Harry Sosa and Eric Parnell hit 3-pointers and the Titans led 6-0. The lead would reach 16-7 on a Jaden Witter-Watts 3-pointer with 13:22 remaining in the first half. Witter-Watts would hit another 3-pointer with 9:37 left to give the Titans a 21-9 lead.

But Daytona State College would slowly cut into the lead and the Titans went into halftime leading 31-26.

The Falcons would tie the game in the first two minutes of the second half and held the lead a couple of times. But Owen Aquino had some big baskets, the third giving the Titans a 44-43 lead. After a stop, Eric Parnell hit another 3-pointer and the Titans led by four once again.

The game was tight throughout the second half with neither team able to pull away.

Up one late Garcia dribbled to his left and launched the 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire to give the Titans a four-point lead. He would be fouled after a Daytona State miss and hit one of the free throws. Jacob Crews hit a 3-pointer for Daytona State College as the clock was expiring and the Titans celebrated the two-point win.

Garcia finished with 20 points and five rebounds while teammate Andres Burney finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Parnell had 13 points five rebounds and three assists and for the second straight game Witter-Watts grabbed 10 rebounds to go with his eight points.

Eastern Florida State College (13-5, 3-0) will hit the road for a couple of conference games next week. The Titans will travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday and then to Florida State College at Jacksonville on Saturday before returning to Titan Field House on Jan. 25 against Polk State College.